After a tumultuous few years for the New York Islanders in Brooklyn, the team is heading back where it belongs. The franchise was reportedly awarded rights to develop a new arena at Belmont Park on Tuesday, meaning the Isles will be returning to Nassau County. The team previously called the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum -- located in unincorporated Uniondale -- home from 1972 to 2015 before it moved into the Barclays Center.
The development plan proposed by the Islanders includes an 18,000-seat arena that, in addition to housing the hockey team, will serve as "an entertainment hub, hotel and retail village." The Islanders' development plan beat out a proposal for a 26,000-seat venue from the New York City FC (MLS).
The victory is a huge one for the franchise, which has had scores of issues since moving from the out-of-date (but beloved) Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum and into Barclays, which was not built with hockey in mind. The newer Brooklyn venue has dealt with complaints about bad ice, obstructed-view seating and disappointing attendance numbers.
The Islanders entered into a 25-year lease with Barclays Center a few years ago, but both sides have since voiced that the partnership was not working out and the hockey club has been feverishly looking for a new home recently. Now, they've got one. The Isles and Barclays have a January deadline to renegotiate an opt-out for the lease.
The deal is important for the long-term future of the club, but also the short-term as well. The Islanders' captain and franchise talent, 27-year old John Tavares, is on the final year of his current contract. He has expressed interest in remaining with the team that drafted him first overall back in 2009, but has been seeking clarity regarding the team's future home.
